Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

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Previous issues for London

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United Kingdom : London - November 2009

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Getting around

London is served by Gatwick Airport, which is 46km south of the city centre.

Bus: National Express coaches to London Victoria take one hour 35 minutes. Single tickets cost €9,80/£6.60 and the service runs 24 hours a day.
Train: The quickest way to get into the city is by taking the Gatwick Express to London Victoria. It takes 30 minutes and runs every 15 minutes from 5am to 11.45pm. A single ticket costs €22,60/£15.90.
Taxi: Outside rush hour, a taxi to the city centre will take about an hour and cost €114/£77.
Tourist information: The main tourist office is at 1 Lower Regent Street (tel. , visitlondon.com).

CENTRE: SOHO AND MAYFAIR

Brimming with bars, restaurants and clubs, Soho is London’s gay hub, while next door Mayfair is the place for serious, take-no-prisoners shopping.

Must eat – Polpo (41 Beak Street, tel. ) is the hottest opening of the year. Come here for Venetian treats such as eel with pancetta and bay leaves. Ponti’s Italian Kitchen (5-7 John Princes Street, tel. ) does unmucked-about-with Italian. Try their Insalata Italiana: prosciutto, mozzarella, tomato and basil. For contemporary Indian – dishes like sea bass with asparagus and raw mango – visit Tamarind (20 Queen Street, tel. ).

Must drink – Chic canary yellow booths, dramatic black-tiled walls and handsome barmen a go-go make for a winning combination at Soho’s first gay discodiner Profile (84-86 Wardour Street).

Dance the night away – Head downstairs to its nightclub, Lo Profile.

Shop til you drop – Make a start at Moschino (28-29 Conduit Street), then move on to Miu Miu (123 New Bond Street) and Browns Focus (38-39 South Molton Street). If you can bear the pain, finish up at The Ministry of Waxing (17 South Molton Street).

SOUTH: CHELSEA AND BATTERSEA

If you’re wondering why Londoners put up with stratospheric property prices and eye-wateringly expensive drinks, take a walk from Chelsea to Battersea after dark. The beautifully lit Albert Bridge might just shed some light on it.

Must eat – The Cadogan Arms (298 King’s Road, tel. ) does a nice line in home-grown classics like poached Scottish salmon, with braised baby gem lettuce.

Must drink – With a heated beer garden and puddings that fall just the right side of stodge, The Prince Albert (85 Albert Bridge Road) is the perfect place to hunker down on a freezing day.

Shop til you drop – Pick up Amanda Lacey’s eponymous line of skincare at her flagship store (46 Walton Street). Better still, book in for a treatment with the woman herself; she’s on every beauty editor’s speed dial.

WEST: RICHMOND

If you like spotting raddled old rock stars (and who doesn’t?), go west. Mick Jagger, Pete Townshend, and Ronnie Wood all call Richmond home.

Culture vultures – Wrap up warm and the head up the hill to Richmond Park. Take your camera – it’s home to herds of red and fallow deer.

Must drink – Homesick Belgians should go to Brouge (5 Hill Street). They have around 50 different Belgian beers, and some mean moules frites.

NORTH: ISLINGTON

Islington feels young, but not bracingly so. Think East End energy, without the “directional” (ie stupid) haircuts.

Must eat – Chilango (27 Upper Street, tel. ) is good if you’re on the go. Come here for the huge portions of fresh-flavoured Mexican food served straight away.

Shop til you drop – Camden Passage is lined with one-of-a kind shops. Pick up antiques at Christina Tattum (number 8), art deco pieces at Circa 1900 (number 6) and vintage clothes at Annie (number 12). Then wind down at the diminutive Kimantra Urban Spa (number 5).

A LITTLE FURTHER OUT… PENNYHLL PARK

Sunk deep in the Surrey countryside, Pennyhill Park feels a million miles from the capital, but is only half an hour from Heathrow.

Sleep soundly – Pennyhill Park Hotel (London Road, Bagshot, tel. , pennyhillpark.co.uk, rooms from €225/£205) is the chicest of country retreats. Rooms have walk-in showers and huge, soft beds, but the big draw here is the spa (you should try the Kodo massage).

Compiled by Tabitha Lasley